Moon and Stars
by TulcaRau
Summary: Sometimes the light of a star is not recognized. Sometimes starlight is mistaken for moonlight. That suited her - it was just as well. They called her Luna, but that was not her only name.


**This has been rattling around in my brain for a while. I finally wrote it down, just to make it stop bugging me. Hope you guys like it!**

It was amazing how people only saw the things that they wanted to see. They all thought she was weird, and quite possibly insane. How wrong they were!

It hurt, sometimes. It hurt that people would just brush her off and dismiss her as crazy, when she was probably the most sane person any of them had ever met. That was the way it tended to go, she reasoned. The crazier people thought an individual, the more clearly and realistically that person saw things.

Well, that wasn't always true, she had to admit to herself. Bellatrix Lestrange was definitely insane. There was no logic or reason in that mind, only blind insanity.

She wondered about Voldemort, sometimes. He seemed pretty crazy. Was he actually crazy, or was he more like her - saner than he looked, because no one thought to actually look for sanity?

He was clever and cunning, that was for sure. But that didn't necessarily mean that he was sane. Or that he was insane.

She shook her head free of the confusing speculation, her long blond hair swishing about her head.

Behind her, she heard whispering and giggling. Her heart constricted painfully as she heard them whisper her name and knew that they were making fun of her again.

No matter, she reminded herself carefully. They didn't understand. They _couldn't_ understand.

She continued on her way for a moment, looking for the shoes that had disappeared from her dorm. When Harry Potter asked her why she was wandering with no shoes on, she giggled and breathily informed him that the nargles had taken them.

They all thought that nargles were made up creatures. They were wrong. A nargle was anyone who wanted to harm someone else somehow - usually her.

And then there were the Wrackspurts. Then were those who tried to harm others with their words: gossip, slander, and lies were all the domain of the Wrackspurt.

All of the creatures that only she could see were like that. Everyone thought that she had made them up. To be fair, she had - to an extent. She had made up the names, at least. But not the creatures - they were always a reflection of the people around her.

Her father had taught her to protect herself, and be cautious. She was powerful, she knew that - but here on earth, away from the heavens, she was much weaker.

She made her way out to the forest, retrieving several items of her clothing - but only one of her socks, how frustrating! she couldn't stand to wear shoes without socks, so put them all in her book bag and continued on her way barefoot - on her way. In the shelter of the forest, she sighed. It was peaceful under the eaves of the trees, and she felt at home.

She knew that the forest was dangerous. There were many fierce creatures that lived in it's depths, and no one even knew what they all were. But she knew that she was safe. The trees loved her, and they would never let her get hurt. She was the only reminder they had of the place they had come from, after all.

 **LINEBREAK**

She walked slowly into the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort had given Harry Potter one hour to turn himself in, and she knew that he would do it. It was in his nature - he couldn't run away and save himself if others were in danger. Besides that, he was a horcrux. She was sure he had figured that out by now. He would turn himself in just to be killed and have the horcrux die.

That was out of her hands. She hoped that he would be alright - hoped that her theory was true and that the horcrux would die before he did. If that happened, he had a chance at surviving. But that wasn't why she was here.

Whether Harry survived or not, she knew the horcrux wouldn't. Then there was only one more to deal with - the snake. But the light side was exhausted, and couldn't stand long against another attack. Voldemort had many followers, and she knew that he had fresh fighters waiting in reserve. The light side wouldn't be able to hold out for long on their own. She was here because they needed help.

It was time.

She didn't go far into the forest. She didn't have time - and she didn't need to. The trees in the heart of the forest were not as light and pure as the ones on the edges, she knew, but even they would respond to her. They all loved her light.

She placed a hand on the trunk of the closest tree.

"Wake, my friend." She whispered. "The time has come."

An ominous rustling in the branches above her was her only answer. The rustling began to spread out through the canopy of branches and leaves over her, moving in all directions.

She smiled.

 **LINEBREAK**

No one knew where they had come from. They were just there. Spirits that seemed to be made out of moving twigs and leaves floated through the battle, fighting fiercely. Even stranger, there were real live trees that were moving about, seeming to almost swim through the ground with their huge roots, that were also actively partaking in the defense of Hogwarts.

Without this help, the light would have been decimated. With these creatures on their side, however, they knew the dark didn't stand a chance.

Voldemort was dead, killed by Harry Potter. Many of the surviving death eaters fled, attempting to escape. But the other fighters, the vampires, giants, and various assorted magical creatures had no intention of giving up the battle. All in all, it was a long fight. However, all things must eventaully come to an end.

At long last, the fight was over. The light side was gathered in front of the castle, and everyone was staring at the strange trees and spirits.

Minerva McGonagall stepped forward and cautiously inquired as to what they were, and where they had come from. She was not answered, however - not until little Luna Lovegood appeared from wherever she had been.

"Thank you, friends." She said simply.

The spirits rustled, their leafy forms swaying slightly in the dry wind. The trees seemed to bow.

"Return now, to your rest - but do not think that I have forgotten your courage."

The apparent leader of the strangers drifted forward. It was one of the spirits. It raised it's hand, extending it towards Luna.

"Come with us, child of the stars. Come and rest. You are weary."

Luna smiled. "I cannot withdraw within myself as you can, my friends. I will stay and do as I always have."

"Come to the forest, when you have need." The leading spirit all-but whispered.

"Do I not always?" Luna inquired softly.

The spirit bowed its head and the leaves of it and its fellows seemed to blow away on the wind. The trees retreated to the Forbidden Forest, disappearing into its vast depths.

Luna didn't explain, and no one ever asked - except Hermione Granger, of course. She could never resist a mystery. But Luna just smiled and said softly, "Very loyal, the dryads. They make very good friends."

Hermione classed this odd speech with Luna's talk about nargles and wrackspurts, and never asked again.

The mysterious being never reappeared - but it is said that if you watch the forest at night, you will sometimes see a small figure shining figure make its way into the wood, and that you will see the whole wood start to tremble with joy as she draws near.

 **LINEBREAK**

"What are you thinking of, my love?" King Caspian the Tenth put his arms around his wife and gently kissed her shoulder.

Every now and again she would stand on the balcony, lost in thought and memory of some far away place. She had never told him where her mind wandered, but he knew that somehow he could never understand, even if she did.

"I was remembering." She told him softly, turning to smile at him. "Remembering a young man I once knew. He was much like you."

Caspian was startled that she had answered his question. "How so?"

"Like you, he would do anything in his power to keep his loved ones safe." She murmured, gently kissing him.

"What was the name of this youth?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"He was called Harry." She responded. "Harry Potter."

Caspian held her against him for a long moment before asking, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. Father sent for me, and I returned to our home in the skies above the island. I never knew what became of him, or any of the others. I can only hope that the nargles and wrackspurts have left him in peace. He deserves it- peace."

Caspian shook his head at the odd speech. He knew that some thought the lady Lilliandil to be a little insane, but he didn't care. He knew that the made-up creatures she talked about meant something to her, and that was enough for him.

"Then I, too, hope that he has found peace, my star." He whispered.

Lilliandil Luna, daughter of Ramandu, smiled.

 **That ending didn't work the way I wanted it to... *sigh* Oh well.**


End file.
